I thought all VC10’s had a centre wing tank, although described as a transfer tank it could hold over 4000 galls, with the civilian Super VC10 getting the additional fin tank. The RAF C Mk 1’s had the fin tank too. 

The Hampshire Crashes site has a record of this incident, the only difference being that the operating unit is quoted as RAE. 

Early in WW2 Gosport had four grass runways, the longest measured 4,650 feet. 

The book ‘A Separate Little War’ by Andrew D Bird gives a fascinating day to day account of the Coastal Command Mosquito Banff wing operations.

On the 5th of December 1944 34 Mosquitoes ‘s some Tsetse and some Rocket armed with a MkIV of 138 Wing along to film the action flew the 400 miles to attack shipping.

Led by Wing Commander Bill Sise they struck vessels causing considerable damage, two aircraft were lost and several made it home on one engine.  

Later the same day 17 Beaufighters of 455 Sqn attacked another convoy. 

What I never appreciated was that Warwick aircraft carrying a lifeboat patrolled the North sea able to drop the boat to crews that were forced to ditch. 

Same for me, all I get is ‘this site can’t be reached’.     

I would love to see, and hear an airworthy Gannet in the UK again especially XT752 as it is an example of, in my eyes, the prettier if that’s possible, of the two airframe versions.

XL500 was being worked on by Kennet Aviation in Wales a few years back but that project stalled when no one could overhaul the propeller. As for XT752, the US are more relaxed than the CAA when the aircraft is operated under the experimental catagory which might allow it to fly there but then moving it the UK would come up against the same problem.  

MFowler. I don’t agree, in fact all the WW2 aircraft components I have worked on have all been beautifully designed and built, to the point where I have wondered why such high standards were still being adhered to under the pressure of wartime. Things like finding two inspection stamps on a small unimportant bracket, why.

Obviously no one, eighty years ago, expected the things they were making to be still in use now but if well cared for they will go on for another eighty years.  

The first picture looks to be an aircraft with the features of a French Bleriot but exactly which model I don’t know possibly a IX, although the 45 degree angled cut of the fuselage covering behind the engine may be a clue, some of his designs had that feature. The Royal Flying Corps had some of these at Farnborough pre 1914. 

The second is very indistinct but I have a gut feeling that it is the Royal Aircraft Factory RAF BE3, it has wing stagger and the lower wing is set below the fuselage and a fin ahead of the tailplane all features of the BE3. A 1912 Farnborough design that was probably only flown from there on very few occasions although it did appear at a Royal inspection of the newly formed Royal Flying Corps said to have taken place at Aldershot.

Richard

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Hunch to start with, then E.E.P is a clue ‘English Electric Preston’ which meant either lightning or Canberra, too short for Lightning so I can only think Canberra MLG.

In your image the axle is on the left. 

Surprisingly difficult to find images of Canberra u/c legs.